Support for a camera

ABSTRACT

A support for a camera comprises a central hub ( 45 ) adapted to releasably connect with a plurality of radially displaced interchangeable arm or foot sections (A, B), wherein the arm section is adapted to interconnect if desired with an additional arm section and/or foot section to form a radially extending leg of a desired length. The hub may have a Mitchell type plate and is provided with one or more access windows to allow access to a central cavity.

[0001] This invention relates to a support. In particular, but notexclusively, it relates to a support for a camera or other suitableequipment such as lighting or sound apparatus. In a preferred embodimentit relates to a type of support for use with camera riser sections whichis generally known in the art as a ‘bazooka base’.

[0002] A camera ‘bazooka’ 10 consists of one or more riser tubes 11, 12connected to a camera leveller 13. Elements of the bazooka areinterconnected via sleeve clamps 14 as shown in FIG. 1.

[0003] In situations where the bazooka base is intended for use with a35 mm camera, the leveller 13 will include a Mitchell plate 15. TheMitchell plate is an industry standard camera fitting that is adapted toconnect with a camera, and will be well known to a skilled reader. Infact, fitting will generally not be direct to the camera, but the camerawill be connected to a plate via a mount such as a fluid head, gear heador similar.

[0004] A problem that arises with a conventional bazooka base 20 is thatthe leg sections 25 are rigid and afford little adjustment other thanfor minor vertical adjustments via the feet 26, and they are permanentlyattached to the central hub 27 of the base 20. Therefore, a user haslittle or no scope for adjustment of the base during use.

[0005] In some conventional bazooka bases one leg of the tripodarrangement can be removed and replaced with a leg of differing length.These are known as ‘drop leg’ devices. A situation where a user mightdesire to replace one of the standard legs would be when it wasnecessary to position a camera close into a corner location. Otherbazooka bases have legs that are removable for compact transportationbetween locations.

[0006]FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the conventional bazooka base 20depicted in FIG. 1. The base comprises a central hub 27 from whichradiate three fixed legs 25. At the end of each leg distal from thecentral hub 27 is an adjustable foot 26 that allows the base to belevelled. Protruding from the centre of the hub is male lug 28 known inthe art as a ‘European boss’ or ‘Euro boss’ (see also FIG. 3). The Euroboss is a standard fitting that enables riser tubes 11, 12, specifically‘Euro risers’, to be securely connected to the base as shown in FIG. 1.A riser tube 11, 12 is locked to the Euro boss 28 by means of a lockablesleeve clamp 14. Sleeve clamps are also used to interconnect individualriser tubes to achieve a bazooka of a desired height. FIG. 3 is anelevation view of the conventional bazooka base of FIG. 2, and clearlyshows the disposition of the Euro boss (the adjustable feet are notshown for simplicity).

[0007] A further problem with a conventional bazooka base will now bedescribed with reference to FIG. 1. As can be see from this figure, theradial extent of the Mitchell plate 15 that sits atop the bazooka isgreater by a significant amount than that of the sleeve clamp/Euro bossarrangement at the base of the bazooka Given the considerable weight ofthe camera that would normally be mounted on the Mitchell plate, it isevident that when in use, a user will need to have regard to stabilityconsiderations when deciding upon camera positioning. Stabilityconsiderations have resulted in the choice of leg arrangement currentlyin use with bazooka bases; the bazooka bases must necessarily have awide stance. In general, the legs are either integral with the base hub,and hence not removable, or removable to facilitate easiertransportation but requiring a relatively complicated assembly/removalmechanism. Furthermore, the currently available bazooka bases do notprovide a user with a range of leg arrangements to accommodate the widevariety of camera positions demanded in modern filming techniques.

[0008] The present invention arose in an attempt to overcome some or allof the above problems, and to further provide a flexible and versatilesupport for a camera

[0009] According to an aspect of the present invention there is provideda support for a camera comprising a central hub adapted to releasablyconnect with a plurality of radially displaced interchangeable arm orfoot sections, wherein the arm section is adapted to interconnect withan additional arm section and/or foot section to form a radiallyextending leg of a desired length.

[0010] Preferably, the hub, foot and arm sections interconnect via adovetail mortice and tenon joint.

[0011] Preferably, the dovetail mortice and tenon joint is tapered.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention there isprovided a support for a camera comprising a central hub adapted toreleasably receive a plurality of radially extending limb elements,wherein the central hub includes a Mitchell-type camera plate.

[0013] Preferably, the central hub includes at least one, preferably aplurality of radially separated, circumferential access windows allowingaccess to an axial cavity.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention there isprovided a support for a camera comprising a central hub, and aplurality of radially extending arms/limbs releasably dovetailedthereto.

[0015] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, byway of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematicdrawings, in which:

[0016]FIG. 1 shows a conventional camera bazooka and bazooka basearrangement;

[0017]FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the conventional bazooka base of FIG.1;

[0018]FIG. 3 shows a detail of a side elevation view of the conventionalbazooka base of FIG. 2;

[0019]FIG. 4 shows a schematic block diagram of a support for a camera;

[0020]FIG. 5 shows a schematic block diagram of a support for a camerain a possible arrangement;

[0021]FIG. 6 shows a schematic block diagram of a support for a camerain another possible arrangement;

[0022]FIG. 7 shows a schematic block diagram of a support for a camerain yet another possible arrangement;

[0023]FIG. 8 shows a side elevation view of a support for a camera;

[0024]FIG. 9 shows a side elevation view and a plan view of a dovetailtenon joint; and

[0025]FIG. 10 shows a side elevation view and a plan view of a dovetailmortice joint.

[0026]FIG. 4 shows a schematic embodiment of a bazooka base of thepresent invention in perspective view. The bazooka base 40 comprises acentral hub 45 to which are connected three arm members 50. To each armmember 50 is connected a foot member 60. For clarity, the foot membersare depicted slightly removed from the arm members; in use, foot memberswill be tightly secured to either a leg member or may be connecteddirectly to the central hub, without an intervening leg member,depending upon the given situation. Any combination of leg/feet membersmay be mounted to the hub, as required by a particular situation.

[0027] A foot member 60 is connected to an arm member 50 at point 55 viaa dovetail joint (not shown). Likewise, an arm member 50 is connected tothe central hub 45 at point 48 via a dovetail joint (not shown). Thedovetail joints used in the bazooka base will be discussed below withreference to, and examples illustrated in, FIGS. 9 and 10.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the central hub, foot and arm membersare constructed from aluminium with its advantage of being both lightand strong relative to other materials such as steel for example.Alternatively, the components could be fabricated from other strong yetlight materials such as various alloys, carbon fibre or a carbon fibrecomposite material. In order that the weight to strength ratio isoptimised, the arm members are preferably constructed from I-sectionaluminium units. Also to maximise the strength/weight ratio, the centralhub 45 is preferably milled from a solid aluminium billet. This allowsfor the introduction of access windows W on the circumference of thecentral hub in positions between points 48 without compromising thestrength and integrity of the central hub as a whole. These accesswindows afford access into the central axial cavity 46 of the centralhub 45. Generally, a plurality of such windows may be provided althoughin some embodiments there may be only one. Indeed, some embodiments mayhave no access windows.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the central hub 45 includes a Mitchellplate (not shown —see below) on the topmost surface 47 of the hub. Thisallows for the direct attachment of either a camera or a Mitchell-typeriser tube without the need for a Euro-Mitchell adapter device. Secureattachment to the Mitchell plate of either a riser tube or a camera isfacilitated by the inclusion of the access widows mentioned above anddiscussed below. These windows allow a user to tighten the securing nutspositioned below a Mitchell plate without the need to up-end the bazookabase.

[0030]FIG. 5 shows the bazooka base 40 in a ‘hi-hat’ configuration.Here, a narrow-stance bazooka base footprint is achieved by attachingthree foot members 60 directly to the central hub 45 withoutincorporating any arm members. This is possible due to the universaldovetail joint that is used on all elements of the bazooka base 40 thatallows for interchangeability between the various members.

[0031] In FIG. 6 the bazooka base of FIG. 4 is shown with one arm memberremoved and with a foot member 61 connected directly to the central hub40. This configuration might arise when the camera needs to bepositioned tight into a corner of a location set.

[0032]FIG. 7 shows another alternative configuration. Here, one limb 70(a ‘limb’ or ‘leg’ is defined as either a single foot member or a footmember plus at least one arm member) is extended by the introduction ofa second arm member 51 between a first arm member 50 a foot member 60.The reader will be aware that the above arm/foot permutations of thebazooka base are but a few examples of the many possible variations.FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 also do not show any access windows, for clarity.

[0033] The bazooka base will now be discussed with reference to FIG. 8.Here, the bazooka base 40 is shown in elevation view with a third limbobscured.

[0034] The central hub 45 is shown with an access window 49 disposedbetween limb A and limb B. The reader should be aware that there is acorresponding window between limb A and the limb obscured from view, andalso between limb B and the hidden limb. Thus a user is able to gainaccess to the central axial cavity 46 from three separate directions.

[0035] Limb A comprises a foot member 60 interconnected with an armmember 50, likewise, limb B comprises a foot member interconnected withan arm member. Each foot member includes a stanchion member 80 that isreleasably held within the body of the foot member. Various clampingmeans to perform such a releasable holding function are well known inthe art, for example, fixing grub screws or the like might be included.

[0036] Each stanchion member 80 includes a footpad 81, a lock nut 82 andan adjustment knob 83. Levelling of the bazooka base is achieved byadjustments to the three individual footpads by rotation of therespective adjustment knobs 83. Once a desired level is attained, thebazooka base can be secured at this position by application of theindividual locking nuts 82. In a preferred embodiment of the bazookabase, each footpad is afforded a certain degree of axial swivel to allowfor local anomalies in the surface on which the bazooka base is to beplaced. Also, since in some embodiments the external diameter of thestanchion members 80 is equal to that of a standard gauge scaffoldingtube, the stanchion members can be advantageously replaced byscaffolding tubes of any desired length to accommodate the requirementsof any given situation.

[0037] The central hub 45 includes an integral coaxial Mitchell plate 90that allows for direct connection of a camera, a Mitchell-type camerariser section or any other suitable piece of camera equipment adapted tointerlock with the standard Mitchell plate 90.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 8, all elements of the bazooka base (feet, armsand hub) are interconnected via a universal dovetailed mortice and tenonjoint. Elevation views of the dovetail tenon and dovetail mortice areshown in FIGS. 9 and 10 respectively. In a preferred embodiment of thebazooka base the dovetail joint is tapered as shown, thus allowing areleasable force fit to be obtained between interconnecting elements.However, the reader will appreciate that there are other suitable jointmeans that could be employed, for example a plane mortice and tenonjoint or a dowel pin and hole arrangement etc. To aid strength andstability a form of locking or clamping means [not shown] maybe employedat each joint that coerces the dovetail towards the thin end of thesocket taper. In this way a rigid join maybe secured.

[0039]FIG. 8 shows the dovetails with the taper running in clockwisedirection [when viewed from above], thick end to thin end. Thereforedovetails D1 of limb A and dovetails D2 of limb B correspond to therespective end of the dovetail as indicated with the same referencenumeral in FIG. 9.

[0040]FIG. 9 shows elevation views of the ‘dovetail’ or dovetailedtenon, and FIG. 10 shows elevation views of the ‘socket’ or dovetailedtenon. [The reader should note that these views are not to scale].

[0041] The advantage of the support for a camera as described above isthat it is modular and compact with interchangeable foot and arm membersthat can be concatenated to form a limb of a desired length. Thus, alimb may have a plurality of leg members, terminating in a foot memberfor example. Each radial position may have a different configuration ofleg/foot members, allowing maximum flexibility in positioning andaccommodating a bazooka type support.

[0042] Furthermore, the preferred use of a bazooka base advantageouslyincludes an integral Mitchell plate and access windows for releasablysecuring camera equipment directly to the base. The use of a Mitchellbase has not been considered before. One of the reasons for this is thatthe additional inventive step of providing one or more access windowshas not been realised. Mitchell bases require access from below tosecure apparatus any apparatus to them. Heretofore, the use of aMitchell base has not been proposed partly because of this perceivedproblem. The use of access windows enables apparatus, including risertubes, to be connected to the Mitchell plate, without requiring accessfrom below. Clearly, access from below is undesirable as it necessitatesup-ending a cumbersome and heavy piece of equipment.

1. A support for a camera comprising a central hub adapted to releasablyconnect with a plurality of radially displaced interchangeable arm orfoot sections, wherein the arm section is adapted to interconnect withone or both of an additional arm section and foot section to form aradially extending leg of a desired length.
 2. A support as claimed inclaim 1, wherein one or more of the hub, foot and arm sectionsinterconnect via a dovetail mortice and tenon joint.
 3. A support asclaimed in claim 2, wherein the dovetail mortice and tenon joint istapered.
 4. A support as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central hubincludes a Mitchell-type camera plate.
 5. A support as claimed in anypreceding claim, wherein the central hub includes at least onecircumferential access window allowing axis to an axial cavity.
 6. Asupport as claimed in claim 5, comprising a plurality of radiallyseparated access windows.
 7. A support for a camera comprising a centralhub adapted to releasably receive a plurality of radially extending limbelements, wherein the central hub includes a Mitchell-type camera plate.8. A support as claimed in claim 7, wherein the central hub includes atleast one circumferential access window allowing access to an axialcavity.
 9. A support as claimed in claim 8, comprising a plurality ofradially separated access windows.
 10. A support for a camera,comprising a plurality of radially extending arms releasably connectedby a dovetail joint to a central hub.
 11. A support as claimed in anypreceding claim, wherein each foot section includes a stanchion memberreleasably held within the body of the foot member.
 12. A support asclaimed in claim 11, wherein the stanchion includes an adjustmentmember.
 13. A support as claimed in claim 2, wherein the central hubincludes a Mitchell-type camera plate.
 14. A support as Claimed in claim3, wherein the central hub includes a Mitchell-type camera plate.